Camelot University
by coulbyangel
Summary: "It's quite simple, really. Gwen and Morgana meet in college, become best friends, and then find themselves falling in love with each other." Based on an AU Meme created by quinnisqueer on Tumblr; Betaed by blueteapot on Tumblr. Morgana/Gwen, written for Femslash February.


**February 1****st****. **

Gwen was an absolute mess. She woke up late which she never did, her hair was still wet from the shower, and worse, she was going to be late for biology. On her very first day of university.

She groaned and resignedly ran out the door, crossing her fingers that maybe she'd get there on time.

* * *

She didn't. She arrived breathless, and there was a single empty seat left, which Gwen gladly took. Gwen glanced over to the seat next to her, noticing a pretty girl with bright green eyes. She reminded Gwen a bit of a vampire or a siren, with her long dark hair and pale skin that oddly suited her. Gwen was trying to puzzle whether her eyes were green or blue, (on a second glance they seemed blue) when the girl turned, obviously annoyed by Gwen's staring. Her face was pained in a way that suggested it was a face she pulled quite often.

"What do you want?"

"I'm Gwen," she said with a smile, trying not to raise the ire of the vampire-siren. The girl simply raised her eyebrow as if to say '_and?_' Gwen scoured her mind for something to say. "You should have been on Buffy." _Wow Gwen, that's not fucking weird at all._

That seemed to interest her though, because she leaned close and smiled. "As in Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" Gwen nodded and moved herself closer.

"Exactly. You've got that look, you know? Like the kind where you're just casually doing badass things every episode." The words were stumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them, but the girl nodded as though she knew exactly what Gwen was talking about.

"I'm Morgana," she said, smiling widely. "But you can call me Buffy."

And that's how Gwen ended up becoming best friends with the most popular girl at university.

* * *

It hadn't been immediate, of course. Right after class, Morgana invited her to a party at Nimeuh's house. "She's a bit strange," Morgana confided. "But if you feel uncomfortable or anything, we can definitely leave." She squeezed Gwen's hand in reassurance, and then passed Gwen her phone so she could add her number in. "I'll call you, and if you want, I can even pick you up and we can go together!" Morgana squealed at that thought, moving in closer to Gwen. She could smell Morgana's perfume; like grapefruit and clean laundry

"That sounds amazing," Gwen answered politely, unsure whether going to parties with strange girl s was part of a normal university experience.

"So what's your address?" Morgana fiddled with her keys. "Do you live around Avalon too?" Avalon, Gwen remembered distantly, was actually where one of her old boyfriends, Arthur Pendragon, lived. It was rich and posh, both of which Gwen was firmly certain she wasn't.

"I can drive,' she said quickly. "It's really no problem. Just give me Nimeuh's address and I'll be right over." Morgana still looked uncertain but Gwen waved her hand. "Really, it's fine. I'll be okay." Grudgingly, Morgana wrote the address down on a piece of paper.

"Nimeuh lives right next to me, in the Avalon neighborhood" Morgana said cheerfully. "Shall I give you directions?"

"I know where it is," Gwen replied. "My-uh ex, Arthur, lives there." Morgana's face went slack-jawed and Gwen stared at her with a slight amusement. "What?"

"You dated Arthur?"

Gwen nodded slowly, unsure of what the problem was. "Used to, yeah. That was uh- before I realized I was gay."

"I knew I recognized you from somewhere!" Morgana poked Gwen's shoulder excitedly. "You're my brother's ex-girlfriend!"

Gwen stared at her. "You're _Arthur's _sister?" Morgana giggled.

"What, I don't look like it?"

Gwen shook her head _no _The ebony waves and translucent skin were very different from the tan, blonde-haired jock she used to date_. _"Also Arthur's a bit more…"

"Of a prat," Morgana finished for Gwen. "I know, all of his girlfriends complain about it to me. Either that- or the fact that he's apparently not so good in bed." She paused for a moment, taking the time to wink suggestively to Gwen. "Which I assure you, does _not _run in family."

Gwen laughed, elbowing Morgana. "Are you a junior then? Arthur never talked much about you, but I think I remember him telling me that much at least."

"Mmhm. And you're a freshman?" Gwen nodded in agreement. Morgana opened her mouth to say something, but her phone interrupted whatever she was about to say.

"It's Arthur," she said, sighing heavily. "I have to take this. I'll talk to you later though, okay? See you at the party!" Morgana waved her a silent goodbye as she pressed the phone close to her ear.

Gwen glanced at the paper. _Parties. Okay, she could do this._

* * *

"How do I look?" Gwen asked Isolde, worried as she glanced over her outfit in the mirror.

"Wonderful," Isolde, her roommate, said absentmindedly, doodling hearts on her bio book.

"You didn't even look!"

Isolde rolled her eyes. "Look Gwen, you're a stunner. It doesn't matter what you wear, you're going to look good. Unfortunately."

Gwen glared at her and Isolde laughed, waving her hands. "I speak the truth," she murmured, standing up and pulling Gwen in for a hug. "Now let's go and party hard like weshould be doing." Isolde pulled away for a moment, smirking at Gwen. "Besides, the neckline on that dress is way too deep for anyone to be paying attention to anything but you tonight, okay?" Gwen giggled, and swatted her away.

"Now how about we go to this party of yours?" Gwen took one last look in the mirror and rushed out after Isolde. There was a giddy feeling that wrapped itself around her ribs and snared itself within her, and Gwen didn't know what to call it but it felt like a new beginning.

* * *

"Gwennnnnn," Morgana yelled, stumbling over. "Imissedyou." Gwen rushed across the lawn, conscious of the way Morgana's eye flicked downwards to her chest, then quickly up.

"I kind of got delayed," Gwen explained, holding Morgana as she threw herself against Gwen. Isolde laughed and walked past them toward the house entrance.

"You and me leave," Morgana said in Gwen's ear, slurring. Gwen gave her a strange look, pulling away from the embrace.

"But I've only just got here."

"Here sucks." She gave Gwen a confused look as though that explained everything. "Can we go somewhere else?"

Gwen hesitated. "I can't, I mean Isolde, she's my ride-" Morgana shook her head.

"Iwilldrive."

Gwen grinned. "No offense, but you look a little-"

"Gorgeouslovelywondeful? yes am I."

"I was going to say inebriated. You are not driving in this state." Morgana pouted angrily. "I could- I mean, I suppose I could drive," Gwen suggested, deciding that while Morgana was adorable pouting, she much rather preferred her smiling.

Morgana's mouth perked upwards. She hooked her arm around Gwen's and strolled grandiosely towards an over the top sports car. "Smashing," she declared, taking long strides. "Absolutely smashing."

Morgana's arm was warm and comforting and Gwen waved a goodbye to her roommate, deciding that college parties were overrated anyways.

* * *

"Gwennie," Morgana gasped. "Winterfell?" She gestured madly to Gwen's room, heels in her hand.

Gwen laughed. "Welcome to my dorm."

Morgana jumped onto Gwen's bed, snuggling up in the comforter. Gwen rushed over, firmly propping her up to keep her from falling asleep.

"Let's play something instead of sleep, okay?"

Morgana shot up. "Monopoly," she demanded, pointing to the bookshelf Gwen remembered the board game Elyan had packed in her suitcase just before she'd left for college. ("Just in case I come over," he'd explained. "I want to be able to play a game I can actually beat you in.")

"Monopoly," Gwen agreed, pulling out the game . Morgana squealed excitedly and helped her set up the game, the two of them sitting on the floor Gwen got Boardwalk and Park Place on the first round, while Morgana for some odd reason had a strange affinity for getting into Jail.

"I want _out_!" Morgana whined, shoving her fist in the air.

"But you can't," Gwen giggled, trying not to give in when Morgana collapsed sadly. Morgana looked up at her, her definitely green eyes big and wide as her lips started to tremble. Gwen tried to resist, but it was no use. "Fine," she grumbled, moving Morgana's piece out of Jail.

Morgana cheered, pulling Gwen's lamp off of her table. "I'm out of jail lampie," she told Gwen's lamp excitedly. Gwen laughed, taking the lamp out of Morgana's hand.

"You make an adorable drunk," Gwen said, watching as Morgana settled on her shoulder, yawning.

"You make an adorable face," Morgana replied, looking up and twisting one of Gwen's curls around her finger. Gwen let them fall asleep like that, legs and hands splayed out like an crossword puzzle someone had given up on deciphering.

**February 2****nd****.**

Gwen woke up alone the next morning, on the floor with her roommate standing above her and laughing.

"Your phone's been beeping for like an hour" Isolde said. Gwen found that she had a blanket on her shoulder. (Had Morgana draped it over her?) Gwen's phone beeped insistently. Groaning, Gwen reached up to check her phone. All of the alerts, she'd learned, were texts from Morgana. Morgana had sent her so many apology texts, Gwen could barely read them all. Some of them included phrases such as "forgive me gwen for i have sinned", "i will never impose on you again; will make it to you with copious amounts of feather boas", and Gwen's personal favorite: "roses are red violets are blue i was really drunk last night but can we still be friends".

"Morgana," Gwen said into the phone. "Stop texting me. Of course we're still friends. It wasn't a big trouble for me and last night was fun, okay? Besides, shouldn't you be hungover or something?"

"Hungover? I never get hungover," Morgana said, saying the word as though it was a preposterous idea. Gwen rolled her eyes, safe on the other end of the line. _Of course the vampire-siren didn't get hangovers._

"Are you serious?"

"I'm as serious as serious goes. Now, about yesterday. I promised you a party and I intend to deliver. Do you know Elena and Mithian? They went to Excalibur High around the same you and Arthur did. Elena was the one who made nature documentaries all the time and Mithian was the head cheerleader on our squad."

"Actually," Gwen responded. "Elena and I are best friends. I'm her maid of honor for her wedding next month- she's getting married to this girl named Mithian. She's absolutely adorable, I swear, I'm terribly jealous of Elena."

"Yeah, they're getting married on March 5th!" Her voice was filled with anticipation, like she'd concocted some brilliant plan that she was absolutely dying to share with Gwen. "Anyways, I'm the wedding planner and Mithian's maid of honor! So I was thinking, we could- I mean we could go together as friends, if you like? I know Mithian's forcing everyone to bring a plus one, so if you don't have one yet-"

"I don't." Gwen quickly assured her. Her love life had since Arthur had gotten as far as making out with a girl named Kara at a bus stop- a make out session that promptly ended after she found out that Kara was in fact, engaged. "So I'll see you then?" Gwen asked, trying to keep her tone light.

Morgana laughed, her voice clear and bright even through the phone. "You're not getting away from me _that _easily, Gwen Thomas. I want to get to know you before we start going to weddings together. Do you want to go out for coffee?"

"Yes." The words came out of her mouth before she even realized it.

"Good." Morgana's voice was softer, more reserved now. "Meet me at Camelot Books and we can go from there to get some coffee, okay?" There was a gentle click of Morgana hanging up, then a dial tone.

"Isolde," Gwen said, turning to her roommate. "Where's Camelot Books?" ****

"And then," Morgana giggled loudly. "And then, Arthur tripped over his own foot and went sprawling over the counter!" Gwen laughed raucously, and their loud laughter drew angry looks from librarians.

"Let's go get some coffee," Morgana whispered, her hair brushing Gwen's shoulder as she leaned in. "They won't judge me for being fabulously hilarious there." Gwen stifled another laugh.

"Fine, but I'm paying. I'm not a charity case you idiot, I can fend for myself." She jostled Morgana's shoulder, but she was serious. For some reason, Morgana had gotten it into her head that Gwen should have no want or need for anything. Morgana pulled a face but nodded reluctantly.

"Now m'lady," Morgana said, hand entwined with Gwen's. "Would you do me the honor of escorting me to the fine Starbucks establishment down the street?" Gwen bowed gracefully, putting on a haughty air as best as she could.

"Why, of course my dear Lady Morgana, I'd be delighted." Gwen smiled as she rested her head on Morgana's shoulder as they walked out.

Once they'd reached the coffee shop and Gwen had paid for their drinks, (a peppermint mocha for Gwen and plain black coffee for Morgana, no sugar of course), they settled into a little alcove in front of the door.

"Have you started the bio essay yet?"

Gwen groaned. "Don't even remind me. I heard Prof. Gaius was hard, but I didn't know he was _that _hard."

"We could ask Merlin for help."

"Or we could just get Merlin to write the whole thing."

Morgana snickered. "I like you Gwen Thomas," she said, scrunching up her nose and smiling at her. "I like you a lot."

"Good," Gwen said decidedly, the jumpy feeling in her stomach having nothing to do with the way Morgana was looking at her. "Because I like you too."

**February 15****th****.**

"I can't believe we're knitting scarves as presents," Gwen mumbled, as she moved her fingers deftly.

Morgana leaned on Gwen, forcing Gwen to drop a stitch. "But they love scarves! Have you seen Elena and Mithian? They wrap each other in scarves and wear scarves in the summer and scarves in the winter and-" Morgana paused for a moment, then continued in a scandalized voice. "_I bet they even have scarf sex_." Gwen shrieked, throwing a pillow at her.  
"How does that even work?"

Morgana put on a fake-sultry voice, wrapping herself with the scarf she'd been knitting. "Come hereeee, darling. I know you wanttt it."

Gwen giggled, deciding instead to snuggle herself in Morgana's scarf-swathed body. "Do you think they're happy?"

"Who?"

"Elena and Mithian."

Morgana nestled herself in Gwen's soft tangle of curls. "They can't be nearly as happy as I am when I'm with you."

Gwen pressed herself closer to Morgana, easing herself into the yellow and green atrocity they'd knitted.

**February 18****th****.**

"How do I look?" Morgana asked, twirling around, trying on her dress for Elena and Mithian's wedding.

"Like an angel," Gwen promised, adjusting the bust of her own dress in the mirror. "How about me?"

Morgana looked her up and down, and then kissed her cheek, sending little shivers down Gwen's spine. "Gorgeous." She twirled again, admiring herself and the way the fabric settled around her, then turned her attention back to Gwen.

"Do you ever think we'll get married?"

Gwen froze. The word, unbidden, came to her: _Yes._ "What do you mean?" She asked again, thinking that perhaps her ears had deceived her.

"Do you ever think one of us will get married?" Morgana corrected herself, casting her eyes downwards.

Gwen's heart rate resumed its normal beating. "I suppose I might. I don't really know though."

"Well if you do ever get married, I demand that you still come over to my house on Tuesdays and drink tea with me."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "We don't even drink tea. Why do you insist on calling it 'drinking tea'? It sounds like a euphemism or something."

Morgana winked at her exaggeratedly. "What? Doing biology essays and talking about how Isolde and Tristan _totally_ fancy each other isn't drinking tea?" Gwen smirked at her and Morgana raised her hands in defeat. "Fineeee. When you get married you'll come over to my house and we'll actually drink tea."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Because I hate tea! The only reason I tolerate it is because it's the only thing you drink at my house. Plus, I'm scared you might call off our friendship if I don't drink it."

"Why would I do that? Christ, I don't love tea _that_ much."

"You threw a tea bag at me when Jeremy died on The Vampire Diaries last night, and then apologized to the tea bag but not to me!"

Gwen shrugged. "It was an emotional time for me."

Morgana threw her head back and laughed, her hair cascading down her back. And Gwen most definitely did not notice the sparkle in her eyes or the little remnant of icing on Morgana's mouth from the cupcakes they'd eaten.

* * *

"You're in love with her, you know." Isolde said as she fixed up Gwen's hair in the mirror. "You really are."

Gwen whipped around, causing several pins to fall out of her hair. "_What_?"

"Don't tell me you haven't realized it yet."

Gwen scowled at her. "Isolde, we're friends for fuck's sake. I'm allowed to be friends with people and not be in love with them."

"You know who you're friends with? Merlin, Arthur, Sefa, Freya, me. You and Morgana are something else entirely. When you talk about her you get all dreamy and I'm never sure whether we're talking about a high class socialite named Morgana Pendragon or a unicorn."

Gwen scoffed half-heartedly. "I don't talk about her like that! She's just a… nice person. With a pretty face and personality to match. And really gorgeous green eyes that look like constellations and nebulas..."

Isolde raised her eyebrows at Gwen. "Please, that was the most ridiculous, lovesick sentence I've ever heard."

Gwen tried to formulate a witty reply, but her head was swimming with undiluted realizations and sentences that only had beginnings but no ends. Only had beginnings and not ends OR had beginnings but no ends.

"And.." Isolde said carefully, as though she was trying to figure out whether she was overstepping a boundary or not. "I think it's pretty obvious that she loves you too."

**February 25****th****.**

February 25th. It was Elena's and Mithian's wedding soon, but for some god-awful reason, Gwen couldn't help feeling like it was hers. She was both nervous and excited at the same time, pacing back and forth in her room, and she'd even made a list of pros and cons of going to the wedding.

_Pros_, she scribbled. _I get to see Morgana. I get to talk to Morgana. I get to wear a really pretty dress. Elena and Mithian are amazing people and I've never been to a wedding before._

_Cons. I have to see Morgana. I have to talk to Morgana. I am supposed to be capable of breathing around Morgana-_

She was just adding a curlicue and a pair of matching hearts to the _'Morgana'_ when her door opened.

"Guinevereeeee!"

Gwen hastily reached for the paper, tangling it in her messy bedsheets. She turned around to see a smiling Morgana. "Morgana, how many times do I have to tell you? You're supposed to knock, not just barge in!"

Morgana waved her hand, dismissing the notion. "Just lock your door instead."

They'd had this argument several times: each of them ending in Morgana promising to knock next time and being forced to perform embarrassing renditions of Buffy characters. Gwen wasn't really in the mood to argue though, considering the fact that her mind had gone noticeably blank since Morgana had walked it. "My name's Gwen, not Guinevere," she offered meekly, watching Morgana's sleek legs stumble towards her and settle down on her bed.

"I like Guinevere better though. More fanciful, you know? Guinevere and Morgana..." Morgana paused for a moment, contemplating something as she twirled the hem of her shirt, and looking up at Gwen from underneath her eyelashes. "Well, actually I think I like you better as Gwen. In the legends, I hear we're supposed to be archenemies."

Gwen instinctively reached for the pillow next to her, lobbing it at Morgana's face. "Who says we aren't?"

Morgana dodged to the right, and then put a hand over her heart in mock-offense. "You wound me deeply, Guinevere." Her hands moved behind her and she leaned back. There was a crinkling sound, and Gwen froze. _Fuck. _

"What's this?" Morgana pulls the half-crumpled piece of paper from under the comforter. Gwen surged forward, quick fingers snatching the piece of paper held in Morgana's soft hands.

"Nothing," she mumbled, bringing the paper close to her chest, but she could feel herself flushing. She could see Morgana's smirk in the corner of her eye, but she barely had time to react before Morgana was suddenly upon her.

"Just let me see it," Morgana placed her hands on both sides of Gwen, effectively pinning her down. Gwen struggled under Morgana's weight, clenching the paper like a prayer to her chest.

"No." Gwen pushed upwards, able to push Morgana over so she was directly on top of her instead. There was a pink stain on Morgana's cheeks and where Gwen's fingers were touching Morgana's, the skin was dangerously hot. Morgana's giggling stopped abruptly , her eyes hazardously bright.

"Gwen," she murmured, her finger tracing Gwen's jaw. Gwen could almost _feel _the proximity between their faces, the mere centimeters which treacherously occupied the little space between her and Morgana's mouth. There was something terribly definite about this moment, that if she didn't lean closer in a second, she would lose Morgana forever.

Gwen sucked in a breath, watching Morgana's pupils contract and hearing the distant pounding of her heart against Morgana's.

_"I think it's pretty obvious that she loves you too." _Isolde's words echoed in Gwen's mind, her allegation insistent on her to close the gap between her and Morgana. But what if Isolde was wrong? What if Morgana only wanted to be friends?

There was only one way to find out.

Gwen leaned forward.

**March 5****th****.**

"Are you ready?" Elena adjusted her hair and kissed Gwen's cheek. Gwen smiled.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Probably," Elena shrugged and smoothed down the pink concoction of a dress. Gwen knew she hated dresses, but when Mithian had seen the dress on her and told her she'd looked "absolutely amazing", Elena had bought it. "How do I look?" She bit her lip nervously, reexamining herself in the mirror for what Gwen suspected was the fifteenth time.

"You look perfect," Gwen promised. "Mithian's lucky to have you." At that, Elena turned around, wiggling her eyebrows provocatively.

"You never told me about you and Morgana." She reached out to Gwen, clasping her hands. "Did you two finally start dating?" Gwen gave her a private smile and Elena squealed, jumping up and down.

"When? Where?" She hugged her, smashing her in a strong hug. "Oh, tell me _everything. _Including the sordid details. Oh, especially the sordid details!"

Gwen laughed, wresting herself from Elena's grip. "Later, I promise. But you kind of have a wedding to go to, remember?"

Elena sighed, retreating to sit down on a chair. "I suppose I do." She bunched up the tulle on the dress and then released it. "But… Gwen? What if- what if I'm not meant for Mithian? What if just halfway through she leaves me? What then?" Gwen squeezed Elena's hand and settled next to her.

"She won't, Elena. She loves you for you and when you walk into a room, everyone knows it. They see you and her and everyone can tell that there's no one else you two would rather be with. Why would she leave you when she has everything right in front of her?"

Elena smiled hesitantly. "You really think that?"

"I know it." Elena opened her mouth to say something, but right then, Morgana peeked into the dressing room.

"Elena! It's time! Are you going to get married or not?"

Elena dashed from her seat, positioning herself behind Morgana, Gwen, Vivien, Freya, Tristan, and Isolde. "I'm ready," she said, after a few moments. "I'm really ready for this." Gwen gave her a small smile and Elena smiled back, but this time there was no nervousness in it.

Isolde took a deep breath, squeezing Tristan's hand as they walked down the aisle along with Viven and Freya.

"Are you ready?" Morgana whispered quietly to Gwen.

Gwen nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ready or not," she mumbled, taking Morgana's hand in hers as they stepped out into the light.

Once they got to the altar, Gwen watched as Elena's father gracefully escorted her down the aisle. Elena looked radiant, the jewels on her dress, bright and stunning in the light. It was ridiculous, how incredibly large her smile was too, like Mithian and her were the only people in the room.

Gwen reached out, accepting the bouquet from Elena's hands as Elena handed it to her, turning around to face Mithian. The priest said some words, but they passed right through Gwen like a dream. It was all about the _now,_ about the inevitable gestures and vows that Elena and Mithian were going to exchange, the way that Mithian's hand lingered on Elena's like she couldn't believe it was still there.

Mithian said her vows, her eyes slightly tearing up as she said them. When she was done, she the priest nodded marginally to Elena.

"When I first met you," Elena said, her voice loud and clear in the hall. "I loved you. There was no in-between for me. I just met you and I _knew _it. I knew that I wanted to be in love with you every day of my life, and more than anything, I wanted you to be in love with me too. And you did. You fell in love with me when I thought you wouldn't, you loved me for all the things I was, and most of all, you loved me for me and not for anything else I pretended to be. I love you for that. I want to scream it on rooftops, make a documentary about you; I want to do everything with you. Most of all, I promise you that I won't ever break my promises. Because you deserve that Mithian. You're the most beautiful, most wonderful person I've ever met and there's nothing more magical than being here right now with you."

Gwen instinctively reached out for Morgana's hand, squeezing it. Her hand was warm against Gwen's, entangled in a perfect juxtaposition she only seemed to achieve with Morgana. "I'm glad I met you," Gwen murmured, resting her head on Morgana's shoulder.

"I'm glad I met you too." Morgana whispered back, her hand tracing the million "I love you"s onto Gwen's hand that neither of them were quite ready to say.


End file.
